With his passion for the game undiminished, Gerald Coteman is about to bring up his undefeated half-century for Cambridge Granta.

Next week will mark his 50-year association with the club, with his first-team debut having come against Churchill College in May 1967.

And far from being ready to hang up his whites for good, the off-spinner is still going strong and turning out for the thirds in CCA Junior League, Division 1N.

Coteman’s Granta debut came after he had been playing for the YMCA, and the team that day included Ron Nunn, who is now club president, and Alan Hobbs, who is first-team manager and was also making his bow.

He took three wickets in the match, which ended in a draw, and went on to captain every team from the seconds to the fifths, midweek teams, touring parties and Millman Cup sides.

He did have a season away with Sawston in the Seventies and a couple of campaigns with Camden in the Nineties, but Granta has become his cricketing home.

“I still have the same passion for the game and continue to be grumpy when we lose or if I'm below my best,” said Coteman, who was still playing rugby up until last year and is a big keep-fit fan.

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“As long as you’re still fit, happy to turn out for the team and can make a contribution then I guess there will still be a place.

“I still get up in the morning and want to play cricket.”

Coteman has enjoyed many good moments with the club’s various sides over the years, with highlights including getting five-wicket hauls, playing alongside talented team-mates, competing in two-day Millman Cup matches and going on club tours of Devon and Cornwall.

One of the biggest influences on his game was Nunn, who he remembers being hugely competitive and always demanding the very best from everyone.

“Ron was the captain and wicketkeeper, and when he brought you onto bowl he expected you to bowl really well,” said Coteman.

“He was serious about his cricket, and I think the fact he was behind the stumps expecting me to bowl well made me bowl better.

“He was a hard taskmaster and difficult to please. I think he only said ‘well bowled’ to me twice!

“He also gave me opportunities to bowl against good sides and good players, so I’m very grateful for that.”

Gerald Coteman (front row, third from the left) on a Granta tour in 2005. He is next to his nephew and current Granta captain Johnny Atkinson, while his son Mark is in the back row, second from the left.

Coteman’s current task is helping the thirds continue their excellent recent form, with promotion having been secured three years running between 2013 and 2015.

Their 2017 campaign did not get off to a great start, going down by 10 wickets at Isleham.

The first team, however, have enjoyed a fine beginning to the season and will be putting their 100 per cent record on the line at home to fellow unbeaten side Sudbury in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League tomorrow.

And Coteman still has strong connections with the first team – skipper Johnny Atkinson is his nephew.

“The first team is very young, pretty much, and there are some good players in the side,” said Coteman, whose son Mark has also represented the club.

“It’s quite different to when I first started out in the first team. I can’t remember there being anyone else around my age in the two teams the club had at that time.

“I first captained the second team in the early Seventies and you learn as you play more and get older.

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“You learn about the players you’re playing against, the wickets you’re playing on and the tactics of the game.

“You never stop learning and that’s the fascinating part of it. I hope Johnny keeps learning and continues to do well.”

Elsewhere in the EAPL, Burwell will be aiming to build on their first victory of the campaign against Horsford when they visit winless Vauxhall Mallards.

Lalit Bose coming in for the unavailable Josh Vowden is likely to be their only change.

“Hopefully we can kick on from here and be more confident as a side,” said Burwell skipper Joe Tetley, who hit a half-century in last weekend’s success. “We’ll be trying to get some more wins under our belt now.”

Mildenhall are also on their travels as they bid to become the first team this season to beat Great Witchingham.